The Influence of Personality Traits on Hazard Recognition in Construction Workers

Current construction safety research has paid limited attention to the relationship between stable individual differences and hazard-related visual attention. This study combined personality assessment and eye-tracking technology to investigate visual attention allocation and hazard recognition among construction workers in static work-at-height scenarios. Personality traits were assessed using the Chinese Big Five Personality Inventory Brief Version, and 30 participants with extreme trait profiles were selected for eye-tracking experiments in two representative work-at-height scenarios. Eight eye-tracking indicators were analyzed across four dimensions: attentional span, attentional stability, attentional allocation, and attentional shifting. An AHP-based evaluation framework was further developed to assess visual attention efficacy. The results showed descriptive differences in hazard-related visual attention patterns across personality-trait groups. Individuals high in agreeableness and conscientiousness exhibited more hazard-oriented visual allocation and higher visual attention efficacy, whereas those high in openness and extraversion showed stronger exploratory tendencies and lower efficiency in allocating attention to high-risk areas. Individuals high in neuroticism showed intermediate overall performance but relatively weaker attentional organization. Sensitivity analysis indicated that the ranking results remained stable under moderate weight perturbations. These findings provide a quantitative framework for comparing visual attention efficacy across personality-trait groups and offer preliminary support for differentiated safety training, risk communication, and attentional guidance in construction safety management.